Eastown Theatre
Eastown Theatre was a 2,500-seat theater located at 8041 Harper Avenue on the east side of Detroit, Michigan. Opening at 6:30 p.m. on October 1, 1931, with the movie “Sporting Blood,” starring Clark Gable, it operated as a movie theater until being converted into a rock venue in 1967. It was forced to shut down in 1973 by the city of Detroit, cited for failing to meet health and safety codes. In 1975, it reopened as a jazz venue, which remained in operation for about a year. After this, it was used for a short time for performing arts and live theater, but again closed down. In 1980, the Eastown began to show adult films under a new name, the Showcase, but closed again in 1984. From 1984 until 1990, the Eastown was again home to a performing arts group. During the mid-90s, the Eastown hosted raves, before being taken over by a church group. The theater was put up for sale in 2004, reduced in price in 2009, and later abandoned. A fire in 2010 destroyed most of the building, and an emergency demolition order was put on the building in 2015. May 29, 1969: SRC / Teegarden & Van Winkle / Savage Grace / Catfish "Grand Opening Night" June 6-7, 1969: MC5 (6-7) / Illinois Speed Press (6-7) / The Stooges (6) / Up (7) June 13-14, 1967: The Bonzo Dog Band (13-14) / Smokestack Lightning (13-14) / Wilson Mower Pursuit (13) / Frijid Pink (14) June 27-28, 1969: The Buddy Miles Express / The Amboy Dukes / Rush July 6, 1969 Eastown Theater, Detroit, MI (The Stooges) July 11-12, 1969 Eastown Theater, Detroit, MI (Muddy Waters, Big Mama Thorton, Head Over Heels) July 13, 1969: The Stooges / MC-5 / Up "Legal Self Defense Presents The People Of Michigan Salute John Sinclair for his Heroic Work in the Community" July 18-19, 1969: Howlin' Wolf / SRC / 20th Century Zoo July 25-26, 1969: Grand Funk Railroad / Howlin' Wolf (unconfirmed) August 1-2, 1969: Sweetwater / Head Over Heels/ The Früt August 8-9, 1969: Alice Cooper / Savage Grace / All the Lonely People August 13, 1969 Eastown Theatre, Detroit, MI (Terry Reid) Eastown closes until mid-September after this above gig...... September 19-20, 1969: B. B. King / Albert King / Savoy Brown September 26-27, 1969: Eric Burdon & War / Mountain / The Flock October 3-4, 1969: The Steve Miller Band / Pacific Gas & Electric / Head Over Heels October 10-11, 1969: Savage Grace / The Stuart Avery Assemblage / Carousel / Shiva October 17, 1969 Eastown Theatre, Detroit, MI (Sly & The Family Stone, Lee Michaels) October 24-25, 1969: The Chambers Brothers / Lighthouse / Aum October 31, 1969: Spirit / Blodwyn Pig / Canned Heat November 1, 1969: Spirit / Blodwyn Pig / Taj Mahal November 11-12, 1969: Jefferson Airplane / The Sons / King Crimson November 28-29, 1969 Eastown Theatre, Detroit, MI (Chicago) December 5-6, 1969: Fleetwood Mac / The Buddy Miles Express / Eric Mercury December 12-13, 1969: The Litter / Love Sculpture / Valhalla / All the Lonely People December 19-20, 1969: Terry Reid / Zephyr / Head Over Heels / Catfish December 26-27, 1969: The Flock / The Stooges / Savage Grace December 31, 1969: Grand Funk Railroad / Savage Grace / Head Over Heels /Bobby Franklin Insanity January 2-3, 1970: Alice Cooper / The Flamin' Groovies / SRC January 9-10, 1970: MC5 / Kaleidoscope / Mr. Clean First night the MC5 set cut short by fire! and the second night was canceled due to previous night's fire (MC5 played at Grande Ballroom instead). January 16-17, 1970: Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels (16-17) / The Tea (16) / Head Over Heels (16-17) / Jack Burningtree (16-17) / The Früt (17) January 23-24, 1970: Ted Nugent & The Amboy Dukes / Cold Blood / Steve Booker January 25, 1970: MC5 / Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels / The Rationals / The Bob Seger System / Wilson Mower Pursuit / Commander Cody / All the Lonely People / Speakers: Ed Sanders, Skip Taube "Free John Sinclair Fund Benefit" January 30-31, 1970: Alice Cooper / The Stooges / The Früt February 6-7, 1970: Chuck Berry / The Flamin' Groovies / The Woolies February 13-14, 1970: Jack Bruce & Friends (13-14) / Savage Grace (13) / The Tea (13-14) / Steve Booker (13-14) / Teegarden & Van Winkle (14) February 20, 1970: Ted Nugent & The Amboy Dukes / The Frost / Brownsville Station February 27-28, 1970: Savoy Brown / Renaissance (with Keith Relf) / Southwind March 6-7, 1970: Ten Years After / Pig Iron / Fiddler Crab March 13-14, 1970: War (with Eric Burdon) / Family / Shiva March 20-21, 1970: Joe Cocker / Mountain / Stone The Crows March 27-28, 1970: John Mayall (27) / Savage Grace (27-28) / Rose (27-28) / The Rationals (27-28) / Taj Mahal (28) April 3-4, 1970: Rod Stewart & The Faces / Zephyr / Argent April 10-11, 1970: Lee Michaels (10-11) / Ronnie Hawkins (10-11) / The Bump (10) / Savage Grace (11) April 24-25, 1970: Pink Floyd / The Frost May 1-3, 1970: Rod Stewart & The Faces (1-3) / Hard Meat (1-2) / Justice (1-2) / The Tea (1) / Richmond (2-3) / Savoy Brown (3) May 8-9, 1970: Blue Cheer / Troyka / John Drake's Shakedown May 15-16, 1970: Savage Grace / Fairport Convention / Cradle May 20, 1970: Mountain / Savage Grace May 22-23, 1970: Lee Michaels / Cold Blood / Sky May 29-30, 1970: Jethro Tull / Mott The Hoople / Shorty (with Georgie Fame) / Clouds June 5-6, 1970: Traffic (5-6) / The Third Power (5) / Steve Booker (5-6) /Justice (6 and maybe 5 too) June 12-13, 1970: Dr. John / Gypsy / Catfish June 19-20, 1970: Ten Years After / Ambergris / Salvage June 26-27, 1970: Procol Harum / Brethren / Cradle July 3-4, 1970: The Stooges / Blodwyn Pig / John Drake's Shakedown July 10-11, 1970: Leon Russell / Savage Grace / All the Lonely People July 14, 1970: Jethro Tull / Cactus / Justice July 17-18, 1970: Cactus / The Frost / The Up July 23-25, 1970: Procol Harum / Silver Metre / Everlon Nevermore July 31 and August 1, 1970: Ted Nugent & The Amboy Dukes / Toe Fat / The Rationals August 7-8, 1970: closed due to the Goose Lake Pop Festival... August 14-15, 1970: Johnny Winter / Alice Cooper / Tin House August 21-22, 1970: The Frost / Savage Grace / Chicken Shack / Justice September 4-5, 1970: Fleetwood Mac / The Stooges / Springwell September 11-12, 1970: Savoy Brown (11-12) / Illusion (11-12) / The Frost (11) / Justice (12) September 18-19, 1970: Mountain / Mylon / Cradle / Humble Pie / Magic Veil September 25-26, 1970: Cactus (25-26) / The Bob Seger System (25) / Universal Family (25-26) / Frijid Pink (26) October 2-3, 1970: Lee Michaels / Catfish / Hard Meat October 9-10, 1970: Alice Cooper / Cradle / Mutzie / Chicken Shack (unconfirmed) October 16-17, 1970: Rod Stewart & The Faces / Mungo Jerry / Haystack's Balboa October 23-24, 1970: Steve Miller Band / Brethren / Lights by Magic Veil October 28, 1970: Jethro Tull October 30-31, 1970: Leon Russell / Clouds / Ballin' Jack November 6-7,1970: Procol Harum (6) / Mylon (6-7) / May Blitz (6-7) / Power of Zeus (6-7) / Traffic (7) November 13-14, 1970: Mott The Hoople (cancelled) / The Stooges / Skid Row / Illusion / Allman Brothers Band November 20-21, 1970: The Edgar Winter Group / The Frost November 25-26, 1970: Savoy Brown / Black Sabbath / Quartermass November 27-28, 1970: Elton John / If / Catfish / Jam Band (unconfirmed) December 3, 1970: Derek & The Dominoes / Toe Fat / Damnation of Adam Blessing December 4-5, 1970: Van Morrison / The Siegel-Schwall Blues Band / David Rea December 11-12, 1970: The Kinks / Quartermass / The Bob Seger System December 18-19, 1970: Mountain (18-19) / Mutzie (18) / Milan (18-19) / Humble Pie (18-19; unconfirmed) / Elephant (19) December 25-26, 1970: Love / Alice Cooper / The Früt December 31, 1970: Illusion / Sweetwater / Catfish / Mutzie / Head Over Heels / Elephant January 8-9, 1971: Free / The Siegel-Schwall Blues Band / Hammer January 15-16, 1971: Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band / Ted Nugent & The Amboy Dukes / Ry Cooder January 22-23, 1971: Lee Michaels / Brethren / Salvage January 29-30, 1971: Canned Heat (29) / Butterfield Blues Band (30) / MC5 (29-30) / The Third Power (29-30) February 5-6, 1971: Mylon / Spencer Davis & Peter Jameson / Cradle February 26-27, 1971: The Allman Brothers Band / The J. Geils Band / Mutzie March 5-6, 1971: Cactus / The J. Geils Band / The Sunday Funnies March 12-13, 1971: Fleetwood Mac / Black Sabbath / Sir Lord Baltimore March 19, 1971: Eric Burdon & War / Badfinger / Wishbone Ash March 20, 1971: Mountain / McKendree Spring / Wishbone Ash March 26, 1971: Canned Heat / John Lee Hooker / Dada March 27-28, 1971: Hunble Pie / Johnny Winter / Dada April 2-3, 1971: The Kinks (2-3) / Mylon (2-3) / Zephyr (2-3) / Bob Seger (3; unconfirmed) April 9-10, 1971: Butterfield Blues Band / T-Rex / Tower of Power April 16-17, 1971: Procol Harum / The J. Geils Band / Trapeze April 23-24, 1971: Emerson, Lake & Palmer / Curved Air / Crowbar / Sweathog April 30 and May 1, 1971: John Mayall / Mandrill / Randall's Island May 7-8, 1971: Mott The Hoople / The Siegel-Schwall Blues Band / Swallow May 14-15, 1971: Lee Michaels / Boz Scaggs / Mason Proffitt May 21-22, 1971: The Stooges / Illusion / Fanny May 28-29, 1971: Buddy Miles (28-29) / Teegarden & Van Winkle (28-29) / The Third Power (28) / Mutzie (29) June 4-5, 1971: Alice Cooper / The Flamin' Groovies / Wild Man Fischer / Glass Harp June 11-12, 1971: The Allman Brothers Band / The J. Geils Band / Cowboy June 18-19, 1971: Edgar Winter's White Trash / Mott the Hoople / Sweathog June 25-26, 1971: The Rascals / Rita Coolidge & The Dixie Flyers / Cradle July 2-3, 1971: no shows due to the "Detroit Rock Roll Revival" at the State Fairgrounds... July 9-10, 1971: Bloodrock / The Hampton Grease Band / Suite Charity July 16-17, 1971: Savage Grace / Humble Pie / Soft Machine / Yes July 23-24, 1971: Ted Nugent & The Amboy Dukes / Blue Scepter (formerly SRC) / Glass Harp / The Früt September 3-4, 1971: Savoy Brown / The Atomic Rooster / Skid Row September 10-11, 1971: Chuck Berry / The J. Geils Band / The Woolies September 17-18, 1971: Cactus / Savage Grace / Boomerang September 24-25, 1971: Mountain / David Rea / Mutzie October 8-9, 1971: Traffic / Fairport Convention October 15-16, 1971: Fleetwood Mac / Angus / Tucky Buzzard October 23-24, 1971: Grateful Dead / New Riders of the Purple Sage October 26, 1971 Eastown Theatre, Detroit, MI (Pink Floyd) October 29-30, 1971: Lee Michaels / Mylon LeFevre & Holy Smoke / Rory Gallagher November 6, 1971 Eastown Theatre, Detroit, MI (Quicksilver Messenger Service) November 12-13, 1971: Procol Harum / King Crimson / Blues Project November 15-16, 1971: Emerson, Lake & Palmer / Yes November 18-19, 1971: "Jesus Christ Superstar" November 20, 1971 Eastown Theatre, Detroit, MI (The Doors, The Wackers) November 25-27 (25 not confirmed), 1971: Savoy Brown / Atomic Rooster / Potliquor December 2, 1971: James Gang / Jake Jones / Julia December 3-4, 1971: King Crimson / Sweathog / Rock 'N Foo / Wylie December 9-10, 1971: Humble Pie / The J. Geils Band / The Früt December 11, 1971: Mountain / Belle Arc / Cradle "last show of venue's original run" December 13, 1971: Mayor Gribbs makes Detroit safe for Democracy by shutting down the Eastown on this date... December 17-18, 1971: Dr. John / Ted Nugent & The Amboy Dukes / Flower Travelling Band "cancelled with love by the City of Detroit..." July 19, 1973: Joe Walsh / REO Speedwagon / Estus "the Re-Opening of the Eastown..." August 3-4, 1973 Eastown Theatre, Detroit, MI (Bloodrock, Mahogany Rush) September 21-22, 1973 Eastown Theatre, Detroit, MI (Quicksilver, White Witch, Marcus)